This invention relates to new improvements in awnings used in conjunction with recreational vehicles such as the travel trailer, fifth wheel trailer, park model, certain type motor homes and other camping trailers.
Awnings currently available for use on recreational vehicles are canvas or fabric type roll-up awnings. While these awnings do have certain advantages--shading from the sun, rolling up and down in certain fashion and being stored in a minimum of space, they only function well in moderate weather.
The flexible roof, inherent in the design of roll-up awnings, renders them ineffective and dangerous in a sudden wind or rain storm. They can fill up with rain water, collapse, whip and tear apart. Also, when this type of awning is rolled up on the side of a trailer that is travelling on the highway, it can unroll, come loose and cause an accident.
Due to the nature of canvas or fabric, the life span of roll-up awnings is limited as they deteriorate and need considerable maintenance. It is not advisable to leave a roll-up awning opened and go away for a few days since there is always the worry that a sudden change in the weather will destroy it. The purpose of any awning is to provide shelter from inclement weather. Since the canvas awning fails miserably at this, a new type of awning for use on recreational vehicles has been developed.